Grain and seed drier.



. 0. w. R ANDOLPH.

GRAI N AN D SEED DRIER.

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1,276,812. Patented Aug. 2?, 191&

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RANDOLPH.

GRAIN AND SEED DRIER.

APPLICATION mzn- DEC. :8. ms.

Patented Aug. 27; 1918.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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GRAIN AND SEED DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED DECJB, 1916.

1,276,812. Patented Aug. 2?, 191a 5 SHEETS-SHEET 3. I Z

0. W. RANDOLPH.

GRAIN AND SEED DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED 02c. 18. I916.

Patnted Aug. 2?, 19m

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

2291a Ely/z- O. W. RANDOLPH.

GRAIN AND SEED DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED DECJB $916.

Patented Alig. 27, 1918.v

5 SHEETSSHEET 5.

OLIVER W. RANDOLPH, OI TOLEDO, OHIO.

GRAIN AND SEED DRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Aug. 2'7, 1918.

Application filed December 18, 19 16. Serial No. 187,529.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be itknown that I, OLIVER W. RANDOLPH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Grain and Seed Driers, of which the following is aspecification.

y drier.

In Letters Patent No. 1,196,979 dated September 1, 1916, I have shown and described a rain drier built up of certain standard units of construction, adapted when combined, to form the body of thedrierof any desired number of grain chutes, wherein the sides of the chute are formed of a series of converging foraminous plates opposite .the inner angles of zigzag partitions com- .mon to each two adjacent chutes, and forming with the foraminous lates air inlet and outlet ducts whereby air orced into the inlet heights whereby uniform density of the grain and freedom of ir circulation therein and therethrough is secured.

In said patent I have also shown and descri'bed means of regulating and controlling the flow of grain through the chutes, whereby the percentage of moisture extracted from the grain in its passage through the chutes is regulated and controlled and made uniform in all the chutes.

Without departing from the principle of construction and operation of the said patented drier, the object of my present inventionis to rovide a drier that is adapted to be used for dryin all kinds of grain and seeds, and wherein t e units of construction are simplified in form, whereby the cost of construction is reduced, and wherein improved means of controlling and regulating the rate of flow of the grain through the chutes are provided.

I accomplish these objects by the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter described and illustrated in the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a broken awayperspective view of the body of the drier.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the drier body parallel with the air inlet and outlet invention relates to agrain and seed sides, (the upper portion of which is broken away for lack of room) and also of the garner and of the valve controlled discharge spouts of each grain chute.

Fig. 3 ma plan view of the regulating valve ofa grain chute.

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the dischargevalve of the discharge spout of each chute. Fig. 5 is a cross section of Fig, 6 on line m-m.

a discharge spout.

Fig. 7 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged top view of a broken away portion of the gamer of the grain chutes. f

Fig. 9 shows a modified form of assemblage offlthe units, to form a. modified form of grain chute.

' Fig. 10 shows form of blank for the outer channel 'bar units of a grain chute.

Fig. 11 is a lan view of the channel bar formed of the lank shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 shows form of blank for forming the middle channel bar of each chute.

Fig. 13 is a cross section of both the middle and outer channel bars. I

F ig. 14: is a plan View of the channel bar formed of the blank shown in Fig. 12.

. Fig. 15 shows form of blank for forming a unit. s Fig. 16 shows unit formed of the same.

Fig. 17 shows a, perspective view of the unit shown in Fig. 16.

Fig. 18 shows a blank for forming a unit.

Fig. 19 shows a plan viewof the unit formed therefrom.

Fig. 20 shows a perspective view of the same.

Fig. 21 shows a blank for forming a reversible plate for forming air ducts.

Fig. 22 shows a blank for forming a reversible plate for forming the division defiector plates thereof between the grain chutes and the air ducts.

Fig. 23 shows an edge view of the air duct Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the garner of and division units as connected in reverse to In the drawings B designates the elongated rectangular hollow bod of a drier constructed in accordance wit my inven tion, and comprises the air inlet side 1, the outlet side 1' o posite the inlet side 1 and the opposite si es 2 formed of plain sheet metal.

The sides 1 and l are each formed of the units 4, 5, 6 and 7 combihed and secured toether b bolts respectively, as hereinafter ascribed:

Theunits 4 are sheet metal channel bars of suitable lengths e ual to the hei ht of the drier body B, and are formed 0' sheet metal blanks a of suitable len h and width bent in a die along the dotted ines b ofFig. 10 to form the flange sides '0 and end 0 of the channel. Instead of the units 4 bin in lengths of the height of the bod B t ey may be in shorter engths, adapte to make up a plurality of units 4 SllfilClGIll) in num-g her to make up the desired height of the body B.

The unit 5 shown in Fig. 14 is of similar construction to unit 4 and may be of equal or greater width, but the blank d of which it is formed is provided at regular intervals with the angular incuts e as shown in Fi 12, for a purpose hereinafter described.

he unit 6 is also formed of a sheet metal blank I of the form shown in Fig. 15 having the perforated side extensions 9, h and i, which when the blank is struck up in a suitable die are formed into the sides 9, h and 2' respectively of the unit 6 as shown in plan and perspective respectively in Figs. 16 and 17. I v

The unit 7 is also formed of a sheet metal blank 70 of the form shown in Fig. 18 having the erforated side projections Z, m and n which when the blan is struck u in a suitable die forms the triangular unit 7 having 'theprojections Z, we and a respectively fgrmin the flange sides of the unit.

he units 4 and 5 are assembled for forming the sides of each chute with the units 4 bolted by their side flanges to the side flafiges of units 5- and each chute is formed by units 8 cross connecting the outer flanges of the units 4 of sides of each chute thus formed, as hereinafter described the units 8 forming common partition wals between adjacent chutes, and the units 9 forming with the units 8 air inlet and outlet ducts of the chutes.

The units 8 are each formed of a blank 0 by being struck up in a suitable die to angle the blank along the dotted lines p to form the parallel marginal portions 8' and 8" 'with the main body portihn diagonal .be-

tween and form the marginal hook gby bending the blank along the dotted lines 1' as shown in end yiew in Fig. 23.

The units. 9 are each formed of a sheet -metal blank of the form shown in Fig. 22

struck up in a suitable die to angle the gamers blank along the parallel dotted lines e, to bend the blank along the dotted lines a, and form the ears 1: by backward bends along the dotted lines w.

The end marginal portions 00 of the unit 8 and the end marginal ortions 3/ and z of the unit 9 are perforated as shown in Figs. 21 and 23 respectively, to register respectively with perforations of the flanges and body portions of the units 4 respectively, and with the units 6 and 7 when used to fill spaces.

The units 8 are secured cross connecting the outer flanges of the units 4 of adjacent chutes by bolts through the end portions of the marginal portions 8' and 8 and the flanges of the units 4, the units 8 being alternately reversed in position, and the marginal portions 8 of one unit overlapping the marginal portion 8" of the. next higher unit 8 as shown in Fig. 2.

The units 9 are secured at their upper por The'unit 10 is formed of an elon ated' rectangular sheet metal blank 10' by ending'the blank at a suitable angle along the center line of its width, adapting the unit to be extended through opposite 1ncuts e of,

the units 5 of each chute.

The end portions of each unit 10 are perforated to receive anopen ring 11 at each end, which adapts said units to be individually removed and replaced by removal of one of the rings, and when both rings are in place revent accidental detachment of either en The sides 2 of the drier body are formed of sheet metal plates, preferably reinforced at the corners by units 4 bolted by their outer flanges to perforated margins of the sides, the units 8 of the next adjacent chute being bolted to the inner flanges of the units 4 of the sides 2.

The drier body B is completed by filling all the triangular spaces of both sides 1 and 1' having their' bases abutting the units 4 of the sides 2 with units 6, all of the half spaces at the lower and upper ends of the sides 1 and 1' with the units 7, and

leaving all the lowermost full spaces of the intermediate units 15 and the cross units 16 and 16', the grid and the garner bein built up of said units respectively accor in to the number of chutes in the drier bo ly B located the intermediate units 15 of the .gar-

ner, said units 15 being formed of a sheet metal strip of suitable length bent triangular in cross section, with the base sides 17 doubled back to form slide ways for th slide valves 18.

The side units 14 are also formed of sheet metal bent rectangular as to three sides and having the inner side inclined at an angle equal to the inclination of the sides of the unit 15 and having a portion of its base doubled back to form a companion slide way to the opposite slide way of the next adjacent unit 15.

The cross units 16 of. the garner are formed of sheet metal blanks of suitable shape, lengths and width, bent centrally of their width V shaped at suitable angle with flanges at their ends by which they are secured to the units 14 and 15, as shown in Fig. 8, andthe units 16' are substantially halves of the units 16, secured along the front and rear sides in like manner.

The base C is completed by filling in the spaces between the units 15 and between the units 15 and the side units 14 respectively with the flanged closure units .16 and the open ends of the units 14 and 15 are respectively closed with the flanged closure units 14 and 15' respectively. All of said units being formed of suitable blanks of sheet metal in like manner as described for units 6 and 7, and the flanges of said units are perforated to register with perforations of the units 14 and 15, to which they are secured by bolts and to the eye beams 12 whereby the units of the base C are all secured together, and the body B is secured to the base C by bolts through the end flanges of the units 4 and 5 of the body.

To the under side of the I beams 12 of the base C are secured below and in line with each chute of the drier body B, a discharge hopper E comprising the rectangular sides 19, the ends 20, the inwardly inclined hopper sides 21 having the portions 21' bent vertlcal and parallel and bent at their lower margins to form the valve slide ways 22, and the inwardly inclined hopper ends 23 having lower portions 23' bent vertical and suitably joined to the portions 21 of ;the sides 21 to form the rectangular discharge spout F, having the regulating valve wardly at equal angles to the ends 20 ofthe rectangular portion of the hopper. E, the inclination of the plates being also equal .to the angle of inclination of the sides of the central garner 25. The garners 25 are disposed between the garners 25 and 26, and are of dimensions to prevent direct access of grain to the spaces between the garners 25 and 26, and so disposed, the garners are adapted to prevent unequal flow of the grain through the valves 18 of the main garner D from all portions of the width of each chute.

The valve plates 18 have openings 18' adapted to be registered with corresponding openings of the garner D when pushed in, as shown in Fig. 8, and to be gradually closed as the valves are pulled out, whereby in conjunction with the valve plates 24 the speed of flow of grain through each chute, and from every part of each chute is equal ized and controlled by the relative adjustment of the valves 18v and 24.

It is to be understood that the top. end of the body B is provided with any suitable garner hopper by which the grain is uniformly delivered into the upper end of the several chutes of the body.

It is to be further understood that the entire inlet sidel of the body is suitabl connected to a blower and a heater in suc manner that heated air is forced under pressure into each and every one of the open inlet ducts of the side 1, and from each inlet duct through the grain to the outlet duct next above each inlet duct, through the openings between the inwardly inclined lower ,portion of each unit 9 and the opposite unit 8.

Thus constructed and connected, it is manifest that by reason of the restricted passages of the grain between each opposite pair of units 9 and the central position of the unit 10 just below each such passage, that the weight of the grain is largely sustained by the units 9 and 10', whereby the column of grain in the chutes is of practically the same density throughout the height of the grain column, and that the joint effect of the units 9 and 10 is to force the grain that is next the units 9 toward the center of the column, and the grain that is'central of the column toward the plates 9, whereby the grainis uniformly brought into contact' with the units 9, which are heated by the heated air forced into and out of the ducts, and transmit the heat to the grain as it passes over them as well as from the passage of the heated air directly through the grain as described. B having the units 9 formed of plates wit out car openings therein the drier is made ada ted to dry all kinds of grains and seeds wit out an part thereof entering the air ducts.

' 'l he speed of passage of the grain throu h the chutes is controlled and regulated y adjustmentof the valves 18 and 24 and the uniformity of the passage of the grain column through the entire width of each chute is efiectedby the arrangement and construction of the a spout garners, which are adapted to corroot the tendency of the central portion of the column to pass more freely t an at the sides'ofthe chutes.

In Fig.- 9 is shown a modified form of arrangement of the units 8 and 9 whereby the units 9 and the air inlet and outlet ducts of each chute are staggered, without however, departing from the principle of construction herembefore described, and it is manifest that in either form of assemble e of the same units, I have produced an e cient drier adapted to dry allkinds of grain and seeds, without having to change the vdrier plates, as is necessary to be done with the foraminous plates of my said atented drier, to adapt them for the smaller 'nds of grain and seeds.

What I claim to be new is 1. In a grain and seed drier the combnation. of a drier body comprising a plurality of chutes for grain or seed formed of opposite vertical side channels, having perforated channel sides, cross connected by common zig zag partitions formed of alternatel' reversed plates, each havin upper and. ower marginal portions angled parallelly and said lower mar inal portions havmg a marginal portion ent parallel with itself to form a hook, and perforated end marginal portions adapting the plates to be jointly and overlap mgly secured to the perforated channel s1 es, and angled drier lates, one for each partition plate, said drier plates each having an upper marginal hook portion adapted to be hooked onto the hood portion of a partition plate with the upper portion extending vertically downward opposite the inner angles formed by two reversed partition plates, and with its lower portion inclined inwardly and downng a marginal portion se and dischargewardly of a chute, and provided With end ear portions adapted to be secured to the inner side of the channels.

2. In a grain and seed drier, the combination of a drier body comprising a plurality of chutes for grain or seed formed of opposite vertical side channels, having perforated channel sides, cross connected by common zig zag partitions, formed of alternatel reversed plates each havin upper and ower marginal portions angle parallelly and said lower mar inal portions havent parallel with itself to form a hook, and erforated end marginal portions adapting t e plates to be jointly and overlaoplngly secured to the perforated channe sides, angled drier Slates, one for each partition plate, said r1er plates each havlng an up er marginal hook portion adapted to be hoo ed onto the hood portion of a partition plate with the upper portion extending vertically downing at regular intervals centrally of each chute through opposite channels.

3. In a grain and seed drier, the combination with a drier body having a plurallty of grain chutes, of a base for the drier body comprising a grid having openings, one below and in alinement with each chute, and a garner mounted on the grid base having hopper sha ed openings above each chute opening of t. e grld adapted to limit and direct the'flow of grain from each chute, a slide valve for each chute, adapted to regulate-and control the garner o emngs for each chute, a discharge spout f r each chute secured tothe base below and in line with each chute respectively, and comprising a hopper and a spout, said hopper portion adapted to receive grain from each' 

